Warning! I tested it on my animals.

Thanks to the almighty Canadian Government, for the last few years many parents have struggled with their sanity. Especially when their child is experiencing a bad cough or cold. Anyone under the age of twelve is denied any form of cough medicine. There is no relief for anyone, child or parent.

Hence my search began. I would like to thank the Garden Pantry on Facebook for sending this recipe. It’s called Maggie’s Cough Remedy.

Last weekend

Sickness reared its ugly head in my household. So my littlest monkey, my two year old daughter Nicole, became my first guinea pig. I combined all the common household ingredients as per the instructions, and voila! DIY cough medicine.

The effects of the medicine instantly appeared. She screamed incoherently at me, and jumped up and down. More gagging ensued and presto! She coughed up the phlegm. I wiped her nose and mouth, gave her a drink, and kissed the top of her head.

“That’s Momma’s good girl.” She sauntered over to the fridge and played with her magnetic letters like nothing ever happened.

Mission accomplished.

Later that day

Lucas, my oldest monkey, began coughing in the same hacking manner as Nicole.

“Okay buddy, bottoms up.”

He examined the reddish substance and covered his mouth with his hands.

“Uh uh, no way!” His eyes grew larger the closer I came with the medicine.

“Come on buddy, you need to man up. Your sister did it with no problem. Didn’t you baby?”

Nicole shook her head in agreement while she coloured at the kitchen table.

“Yeah, Doodis ave some.”

I omitted to tell Lucas the part where Nicole screamed and gagged, but hey, whatever works.

Yes I am an evil mother. However I would also like to point out he has an evil sister.

Lucas gingerly took the tablespoon and swallowed it down.

“Ohhh Yuck! Hot! Hot! Drink! Drink!” His eyes bulged out of his head, and sweat formed on his brow.

I slowly reached in the fridge and proceeded to pour him a glass of milk. Waiting for the medicine to take full effect. I handed him the glass to kill the burning sensation that he appeared to be experiencing.

Hmmm maybe it’s too hot. I guess I should have tested it on him first since he can talk, but hey, live and learn. I guess Nicole wasn’t exaggerating after all.

The Next Day

It figures Karma reared her ugly head. I myself experienced a sore throat and stuffed up nose. I took a tablespoon of medicine.

WOW! That’s friggen hot!

I added four additional tablespoons of honey. It’s now tolerable.

So I’m sure everyone is dying to know, did it work?

Yes, it actually provided some relief. It made my nose run, and it cleared my sinuses. It may not work on everybody, but it worked on us.

I guess there is some merit to the old school remedies. For my family this one is a keeper.

Do you have any natural remedies that work for your family? If you wish I would be happy to share. 😉

The Recipe for Maggies Cough Remedy

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper spice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger spice

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon honey

Use a locally produced honey, if possible. With children under the age of two it’s recommended to use pasteurized honey to prevent botulism. For this recipe I added an additional four tablespoons of honey to tone down the burning sensation.

The recipe states it’s enough for four servings, but with the additional honey it’s eight.

Although the recipe is natural, it can affect people large or small differently. Just because the remedy is natural does not mean it can’t be harmful. Use at your own risk. Always consult a doctor prior to use.